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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24346963">biting the bullet</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/twentytwentytwo/pseuds/twentytwentytwo'>twentytwentytwo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Gunshot Wounds, Love Confessions, M/M, reed900</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:14:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,401</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24346963</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/twentytwentytwo/pseuds/twentytwentytwo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Nines had shown Gavin, over and over again, how he felt. If Gavin reciprocated… well, that would make it real, wouldn’t it? But Gavin wasn’t good at showing. And he sure as hell wasn’t good at telling."  </p>
<p>When Gavin and Nines are injured on the job, it's a mess of blood, thirium, and repressed feelings. Will Gavin finally bite the bullet and tell Nines how he feels?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>200</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>biting the bullet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gavin hadn’t told Nines how he felt. To be fair, Nines hadn’t told Gavin how <em>he </em>felt… in so many words. Nines brought Gavin coffee each morning and again during the afternoon lull. Nines also made it his mission to hassle Gavin about going home when he stayed late at the DPD more than three nights in a row.</p>
<p>And there was that time Gavin had been exhausted enough to fall asleep at his desk and had woken up with Nines’ jacket around his shoulders. Gavin had thought sleepily that it smelled like Nines, clean, like fresh laundry. Then he’d jerked fully awake, thinking, <em>how the fuck do I know what Nines </em>smells<em> like?</em></p>
<p>“Are you alright, Detective?” Nines had asked, not even looking up from his computer, the bastard.</p>
<p>“M’ fine,” Gavin had muttered, hoping the blush he’d felt creeping up his neck didn’t show on his face.</p>
<p><em>Nines</em>, Gavin thought, <em>didn’t need to </em>say<em> anything</em>. Nines had <em>shown</em> Gavin, over and over again, how he felt. If Gavin reciprocated… well, that would make it real, wouldn’t it? But Gavin wasn’t good at showing. And he sure as hell wasn’t good at <em>telling</em>.  </p>
<p>Gavin thought about telling Nines all the time. Like when Nines hummed along to Gavin’s music he claimed to hate in the car. Or when Gavin felt that fucking magic between he and Nines when they bounced theories off of each other until a case was solved.</p>
<p>But Gavin was scared. Scared that he was reading Nines all wrong. Scared that it was all in his head….</p>
<p>“Detective Reed?” Nines waved a hand in front of Gavin’s face. “Did you hear me? Fowler wants us to check out the house on Rosemary. The warrant just came through.”</p>
<p>Gavin blinked. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been staring off into space. “Sorry,” he said, standing up and shrugging on his jacket. “Let’s go.”</p>
<p>_</p>
<p>Gavin could <em>feel </em>Nines scanning him. “I’m <em>fine</em>,” Gavin said, side-eyeing Nines. Nines raised a brow. “I slept six hours last night,” Gavin added. Nines interest in his sleeping habits bordered on obsessive.</p>
<p>Nines looked away. “Eight would’ve been more optimal.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Gavin said. “Having a partner who respected my privacy would be ‘more optimal’ for me.”</p>
<p>“I don’t mean to intrude,” Nines said stiffly. “But it’s in both of our interests that you’re functioning well, should we encounter any hostile persons-”</p>
<p>“Relax, I was just fucking with you,” Gavin said, pulling over to park. He undid his seat belt and turned to face Nines.</p>
<p>Nines’ gray eyes, Gavin knew, were meant to make him appear more intimidating than his predecessor (Gavin had no clue what they were thinking, giving Connor those ridiculous puppy dog eyes). Gavin wasn’t intimidated so much as fascinated by Nines’ eyes. As Nines’ searched Gavin’s face, all Gavin could think about was how his eyes were gunmetal around the edges and an overcast sky in the middle…</p>
<p>“You seemed off this morning,” Nines said, breaking Gavin out of his thoughts. “Is everything alright?”  </p>
<p>“Everything’s fine,” Gavin said, too quickly. He clenched his fists, then unclenched them. “I was just…” Gavin noticed Nines’ mouth, thin with concern. <em>Get a grip</em>, Gavin told himself and raised his eyes to meet Nines’. “I was just thinking,” he said truthfully.</p>
<p>“What about?” Nines asked.</p>
<p>Gavin wet his lips. “Just- just some things I need to say,” he said quietly. Then he got out of the car like it was about to explode. Nines had given him the perfect in and he hadn’t taken it. <em>Am I ever gonna bite the bullet and tell him? </em>Gavin wondered, mentally wincing at his hasty exit.</p>
<p>Thankfully, Nines didn’t press Gavin any further as they walked up to the residence, a house that looked one good storm away from falling down. Gavin rapped on the front door. “Detroit Police.” No answer. Gavin knocked again. “Detroit Police, open up.”</p>
<p>Knocking was simply formality. They had a warrant; there’d been multiple calls about this place being a hot spot for red ice deals.</p>
<p>Gavin stepped aside and gestured to the door. Nines rolled his shoulders and knocked the door inwards with one good kick. “Show off,” Gavin whispered. Nines grinned.</p>
<p>They both drew their guns and slowly made their way into the foyer. There was a kitchen off to the left and a living room off to the right, filled with ratty looking furniture. There were no signs of life.</p>
<p>Gavin jerked his head toward the stairwell. Nines nodded and followed him up. It was dim upstairs, like the windows had been boarded up, which was why Gavin didn’t see the gun pointed at him, he just felt the bullet hit him.</p>
<p>“<em>Fuck</em>,” Gavin hissed, keeling over. Then Nines was in front of him, shielding Gavin with his fucking body. Gavin heard gunfire on both sides, then the sick sound of a body hitting the floor.</p>
<p>“He’s down,” Nines said, turning to Gavin.</p>
<p>Gavin nodded, sinking to the ground. The bastard had hit him right in the thigh. He couldn’t look at the blood gushing from the wound. “Call an ambulance,” he told Nines through gritted teeth.  </p>
<p>“I already did,” Nines said, kneeling down and shoving off his jacket.</p>
<p>Gavin forced his blurring vision to focus on Nines, whose chest was splattered blue. “Oh, fuck, Nines,” Gavin said. “Where did he hit you?” he demanded. Nines began to rip his coat into strips.</p>
<p>Gavin reached out and gripped Nines’ wrist, forcing him to stop. “<em>Where are you hit</em>?”</p>
<p>Nines’ nostrils flared. “My thirium pump is damaged,” he said, easily freeing his wrist from Gavin’s weak grip.</p>
<p>“Shit,” Gavin said, trying to sit up more, willing away the wave of dizziness that hit him. “You need to go to CyberLife. You’re gonna shut down-”</p>
<p>“I’m going to shut down in five minutes,” Nines said, tying the fabric strips together. “<em>Your </em>femoral artery has been hit and in five minutes you’re going to be-” Nines broke off.</p>
<p>“Dead?” Gavin finished helpfully. Nines glared at Gavin. “The ambulance will be here soon, just leave me-”</p>
<p>“<em>I am not leaving you here,</em>” Nines said fiercely. “You need to let me do this.”</p>
<p>Gavin set his jaw. “You’re not any less important than me.”</p>
<p>“I’m not trying to play the self-sacrificing hero!” Nines cried.</p>
<p>Gavin blinked. Was he hallucinating from the blood loss or were there tears in Nines’ eyes?</p>
<p>“I can easily be fixed,” Nines said, softening his voice. “Plus, if you don’t let me keep you from dying, I’m going to fucking kill you.”</p>
<p>“Seems counterproductive,” Gavin said, but allowed Nines to tie a tourniquet above his wound, LED spinning red. “Are you really gonna be okay?” Gavin asked, once Nines was done.</p>
<p>“You’re bleeding out, and you’re asking me if <em>I’m</em> gonna be okay?” Nines said.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I am,” Gavin said. Then he reached for Nines’ hand. Nines took it. “Nines,” Gavin said. “You know that I-”</p>
<p>“I know,” Nines said. “Me too.”</p>
<p>_</p>
<p>Gavin woke up with a start, seeing nothing but white ceiling. “Nines?” he said hoarsely. Gavin tried to sit up. “Nines?” he repeated, louder this time.  </p>
<p>“I’m right here,” Nines said, appearing at his bedside.</p>
<p>Gavin sank back into his pillows. “Thank fuck,” he said. Nines sat down in a chair beside Gavin’s bed. “And you’re okay?”</p>
<p>“I’m fine,” Nines said. Gavin swept his eyes over Nines’ body. “I’m fine,” Nines repeated, softer this time. “You’re the one who’s been out for two days,” Nines said. “Are <em>you</em> okay?” he asked pointedly.</p>
<p>Gavin met Nines' eyes. “As long as you are,” he said honestly. Nines reached out his hand. Gavin took it.</p>
<p>“Nines,” Gavin said. “I’ve wanted to tell you- I’ve known for a while that-” he broke off and looked at Nines, who was holding back a smile. Gavin pointed his free hand at Nines. “You’re enjoying this too much,” he accused.</p>
<p>Nines laughed, loud and bright, and that was <em>it</em>. “Fuck, will you just-?” Gavin grabbed Nines by the shirtfront and kissed him, trying to say everything he couldn’t find the words for. Nines responded by lacing his fingers behind Gavin’s neck and deepening the kiss.  </p>
<p>When he couldn’t breathe anymore, Gavin pulled away, pressing his forehead against Nines’. “Just so we’re clear,” Gavin said, “I was trying to say I’m in love with you.”</p>
<p>Nines kissed Gavin again. “I love you, too,” he said.  </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I love two (2) stubborn idiots in love. </p>
<p>hmu on tumblr @charmingnines</p></blockquote></div></div>
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